Lamannia Update: EARLY Enhancements Preview

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vargouille

We're planning to simplify Spell Criticals and made them more effective early in the game.

We've removed Spell Critical Damage bonuses in general, but there are still many sources of Spell Critical Chance (including enhancements and items). When you score a critical with a spell, you now deal +100% damage, increased from the old base of +50%. We may introduce some temporary bonuses that increase this to +200% or higher, but we felt that the added complexity of adding 25% here and there wasn't justified.

The Magical Training feat, which most spellcasting classes get at level 1, grants +5% spell critical chance. This means most casters at level 1 have a 5% chance to deal +100% damage.

We have not yet done a pass on items for this change but they will be brought in line with these changes.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vargouille

You already have Magical Training if you are a Wizard, Sorcerer, Cleric, Druid, Favored Soul, or Artificer.

---

Bards really need to be added to this list.

I really can't see how you can add another exotic weapon feat to artificers (which I like in principle, but it makes a good example) and still ignore bards as a casting class (Spellsingers in particular) by still denying them a feat they should have had ever since it was introduced.

This is now getting really bad, before it meant that bards had less spell points and no free spell point regen, then it meant that caster bards couldn't use new caster gear introduced to the game and now it locks them out of spell criticals and spell power enhancements (such as human versatility for casters).

Bards don't have the luxury of free class feats that artificers and wizards do and really can't afford buying magical training as a standard feat.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vargouille

You already have Magical Training if you are a Wizard, Sorcerer, Cleric, Druid, Favored Soul, or Artificer.

---

So bards which are already the weakest class in the game, are yet even worse, because now they have to take a feat or splash to get 5% of something they used to get 9% of with enhancements.

You're already giving away most of the Bards best buffs with ship buffs, and items that give the Bard typed version of a bonus. They already have the worst DC's and spell pen. due to 6th level spells. They already get the least use out of meta magics. And you guys already pretty much completely left Bards out of the spell pass.

You could triple Greater shout's base damage and it would still be weak even using 50 spell power enhancements from 3 wiz levels and 20 spell power from 1 Druid level (and 80 from bard enhancements) for a sonic spell power of 290 with items (but without meta's) this spell is STILL weak... You can no longer even do that. because spell power lines go bye bye.

So you're getting rid of that, AND giving the pure Bard 0 base crit chance...

picture my Bard in quicksand already half drowned, with only an outstretched hand still above the surface, you just stepped on his head like a stepping stone while you were crossing :(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vargouille

You already have Magical Training if you are a Wizard, Sorcerer, Cleric, Druid, Favored Soul, or Artificer.

---

I think, you should very seriously consider giving bards magical training also.
I find there is some inconsistency in giving bards sonic spellpower boost via their perform (I think I like this) and at the same time removing their enhancement line for spell crits (healing and sonic).

At the same time, I think you should also consider making the Heal skill be a class skill for bards, because of the new changes to positive energy (healing) spellpower through the heal skill.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vargouille

You already have Magical Training if you are a Wizard, Sorcerer, Cleric, Druid, Favored Soul, or Artificer.

---

Say with the magical training enhancement in Arcane Archer available that means I do not need a sorcerer past life or to have a spell casting class in order to cast the arcane archer spells I am guessing. Correct?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Xilth

I realy wish there where other ways then Pando to get installation files... right now to run DDO on linux the hardest part isn't making it run but geting instalation files

---

Yes, I'm aware of that (though I didn't know it was associated with Pando), but there is an old installer for DDO somewhere which works flawlessly for wine.
For the moment I'm out of windows installation and VirtualBox installation in my machine is possible but sooooooooooooo tedious...
I'm gonna bug a friend to do it for me =P

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vargouille

We've taken out most of the racial toughness enhancements. We had previously found that the Toughness feat was considered mandatory by many players and wanted to make it more of a choice than before.

---

I couldn't agree more, I can't wait to test these changes.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EllisDee37

Did you want to play a self-sufficient melee who self-heals via bluebar? No devotion lines for you, and the healing amp line is inexplicably doubled in cost beyond tier 1.

---

No self-sufficient chars would be truly awesome. I hope this game goes in this direction, after all it is an MMO not a single player. This is me though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by legendlore

Bards really need to be added to this list.

---

I'd love to agree with that but Bards have never "studied" it... still I feel like they deserve something to balance that. Perhaps auto-granted somewhere in spellsinger tree?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Blayster

No self-sufficient chars would be truly awesome.

---

You're telling me my rogue and my sorc are poo?

I had to "lol" at the complete lack of clue coming from this comment... go play with barbie and ken in NWO please.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by seebs

There was a switch away from Pando to something called "Happy Cloud" at one point. I can find no evidence of this now, and I can't find the installer, but I note that I've been unable to get Pando to load the game for a while now, but the old copy of the Happy Cloud installer I found on another machine worked fine.

---

We are currently running into some issues with the Pando installer. I am sorry about the inconvenience this causes, and we are investigating the issue.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Aussir

You're telling me my rogue and my sorc are poo?

I had to "lol" at the complete lack of clue coming from this comment... go play with barbie and ken in NWO please.

---

No. I am telling that in my opinion no character should be self sufficient. Last time I checked I was allowed to expose my opinion without the fear of being offended publicly.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SqueakofDoom

We are currently running into some issues with the Pando installer. I am sorry about the inconvenience this causes, and we are investigating the issue.

---

Perhaps uploading the installation files somewhere would do the trick? The thing is that Pando downloads it for us and etc, but that is only helpful when it works!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Blayster

No self-sufficient chars would be truly awesome. I hope this game goes in this direction, after all it is an MMO not a single player. This is me though.

---

So healers would need to chug healing pots in your world? Or rely on another healer? No self casting?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ganolyn

So healers would need to chug healing pots in your world? Or rely on another healer? No self casting?

---

self-sufficient =/= self-healing

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Blayster

self-sufficient =/= self-healing

---

That was just an example. Self sufficient means being able to take care of yourself and the requirements of the quest. Many classes are self sufficient.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Blayster

No. I am telling that in my opinion no character should be self sufficient. Last time I checked I was allowed to expose my opinion without the fear of being offended publicly.

---

I'm publicly offended when you expose your opinion.

Put it back where it belongs. :p

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EllisDee37

Extremely poorly. This first preview makes it crystal clear that the devs want everyone to be a pure class, and they want those pure classes to play in rigidly defined roles.

As an example, clerics are essentially healbots. Kiss your dc casting goodbye. (They removed friggin' spell pen enhancements from clerics. If that doesn't say "shut up and heal" loud and clear, I don't know what would.)

Did you want to play a self-sufficient melee who self-heals via bluebar? Kiss those builds goodbye too. No devotion lines for you, and the healing amp line is inexplicably doubled in cost beyond tier 1.

---

I like how you assume things, given we haven't seen the OTHER classes to know what is there, this is still a VERY early alpha, they haven't released all the pre's for what we are testing on Lam right now, and they have mentioned MULTIPLE times that multi-classing will be just as good as it was before. There are certain costs that aren't right yet, certain abilities that need tweaking or completely taken out and replaced...lot's of work still to do.

So quit ***** * ******* ***** and trying to get everyone riled up with pitchforks and maybe, I don't know, offer HELPFUL criticism in the form of detailed bug reports instead of whining about everything? Just ideas...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SqueakofDoom

We are currently running into some issues with the Pando installer. I am sorry about the inconvenience this causes, and we are investigating the issue.

---

The problem is you are using Pando.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Aashrym

Yeah, but spell casting is a major component for many bards and they are left out again on a caster bonus. You really need to reconsider your approach to bards instead of repeatedly omitting them from caster benefits because you insist on tying benefits to that one feat.

---

Let's talk in 2 weeks when Bards are ready.

We've got them covered.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vargouille

Let's talk in 2 weeks when Bards are ready.

We've got them covered.

---

Why why why why do we have the enhancement trees doled out to us piecemeal? Getting a look at the big picture is vitally important to me, and many others. Forcing people to check out certain trees and locking them out of the ones they REALLY want to see doesn't get you more focused feedback. It gets you people who are irritated and angry and their feedback reflects that. If someone has a 12 bard/6 arti/2 monk that they absolutely love to death and play every day to the exclusion of all other characters, why should they log in and give you a review of how much the Kensai tree sucks (it does suck, BTW) or a review of how pigeon-holed clerics are becoming (they are, BTW)?

I will likely never give feedback on the barbarian class tree, since I don't play barbarians. But what about someone else who loves barbs to the exclusion of all other classes, and his preview isn't for a couple weeks? What is he supposed to do? Give feedback for classes he doesn't play? How valuable is that? Maybe he is bitter about not getting able to preview his pet class, so he gives awful feedback on purpose to torpedo the feedback gathering process. Can you with 100% certainty filter out that type of on-purpose ugly feedback?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rest

Why why why why do we have the enhancement trees doled out to us piecemeal? Getting a look at the big picture is vitally important to me, and many others. Forcing people to check out certain trees and locking them out of the ones they REALLY want to see doesn't get you more focused feedback. It gets you people who are irritated and angry and their feedback reflects that. If someone has a 12 bard/6 arti/2 monk that they absolutely love to death and play every day to the exclusion of all other characters, why should they log in and give you a review of how much the Kensai tree sucks (it does suck, BTW) or a review of how pigeon-holed clerics are becoming (they are, BTW)?

I will likely never give feedback on the barbarian class tree, since I don't play barbarians. But what about someone else who loves barbs to the exclusion of all other classes, and his preview isn't for a couple weeks? What is he supposed to do? Give feedback for classes he doesn't play? How valuable is that? Maybe he is bitter about not getting able to preview his pet class, so he gives awful feedback on purpose to torpedo the feedback gathering process. Can you with 100% certainty filter out that type of on-purpose ugly feedback?

---

Keywords will help sort rants versus raves.

Looking at what I see now, I see MC'ing built inm but I don't know how well it will play across current popular trees. However, they have access to what we don't and are actively checking our feedback against their plans. So just because you cant opinionate about it, doesn't mean they are ignoring it.

Also, posting that kind of feedback will ensure they do consider classic MS paths as they build this new system.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rest

Why why why why do we have the enhancement trees doled out to us piecemeal? Getting a look at the big picture is vitally important to me, and many others. Forcing people to check out certain trees and locking them out of the ones they REALLY want to see doesn't get you more focused feedback. It gets you people who are irritated and angry and their feedback reflects that. If someone has a 12 bard/6 arti/2 monk that they absolutely love to death and play every day to the exclusion of all other characters, why should they log in and give you a review of how much the Kensai tree sucks (it does suck, BTW) or a review of how pigeon-holed clerics are becoming (they are, BTW)?

I will likely never give feedback on the barbarian class tree, since I don't play barbarians. But what about someone else who loves barbs to the exclusion of all other classes, and his preview isn't for a couple weeks? What is he supposed to do? Give feedback for classes he doesn't play? How valuable is that? Maybe he is bitter about not getting able to preview his pet class, so he gives awful feedback on purpose to torpedo the feedback gathering process. Can you with 100% certainty filter out that type of on-purpose ugly feedback?

---

Dev said it was because they want to focus in on a few trees at a time. They will open all of the classes once this phase is over.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rest

Why why why why do we have the enhancement trees doled out to us piecemeal? Getting a look at the big picture is vitally important to me, and many others. Forcing people to check out certain trees and locking them out of the ones they REALLY want to see doesn't get you more focused feedback. It gets you people who are irritated and angry and their feedback reflects that. If someone has a 12 bard/6 arti/2 monk that they absolutely love to death and play every day to the exclusion of all other characters, why should they log in and give you a review of how much the Kensai tree sucks (it does suck, BTW) or a review of how pigeon-holed clerics are becoming (they are, BTW)?

I will likely never give feedback on the barbarian class tree, since I don't play barbarians. But what about someone else who loves barbs to the exclusion of all other classes, and his preview isn't for a couple weeks? What is he supposed to do? Give feedback for classes he doesn't play? How valuable is that? Maybe he is bitter about not getting able to preview his pet class, so he gives awful feedback on purpose to torpedo the feedback gathering process. Can you with 100% certainty filter out that type of on-purpose ugly feedback?

---

The biggest problem with your argument is they aren't releasing these so you can see how your favorite character is going to be in the future. I don't play clerics...never even rolled one up nor have I multi'ed into one before. However, I am making a cleric tonight to test out the new enhancements and see if they are buggy and how I feel the jell together. I will also be making a multi-classed cleric/ftr, cleric/ranger/ and an arti/ranger...to try and feel out the entire enhancment line so far (I have already done ranger, ranger/ftr, arti and pure ftr).

I am trying to help them build something that has a great blueprint, but needs a lot of fine tuning. Instead of complaining that your favorite thing in the world isn't available yet (it will be in two weeks) maybe try providing something constructive in the form of bug reports so that they can get an idea of what we, the player base, want.

And remember, if you are worried about multiclassing builds that have classes being released in different weeks, they have already said there will be a "free-for-all" test period with all lines open to try out multi-classing on a grander scale.